If you have to leave the circuit energised then you cannot plaster over the light switch and will have to fit a blanking plate. If you have a noncontact voltage tester you simply need to touch its tip to the wire youre testing.

How To Remove A Light Switch Diy Electrical
Disconnecting a light switch. A warm switch can also be caused by loose wire connections so check these. Then putting a solid cover over the box. Loosen the terminal screws until the bare wire ends move freely. Find out what circuit it is on and isolate that circuit disconnecting the cable to the fitting if possible. It can be as easy as removing the switch and wire nutting the two wires together attached to the switch. If so then you should replace the switch with a properly rated 20 amp switch.
To disable a light switch remove the two wires from the switch and tie them together with a wire nut. A switch rated for 15 amps installed on a 20 amp circuit may heat up if its controlling a number of light fixtures or devices that draw more than 15 amps of power. With the power off of course. If the fixture is controlled by a pull chain trace the wires from the fixture to the point where they connect to power. You need a slotted screwdriver two wire nuts a blank light switch insertor blank wall plate and possibly some electrical tape. Is the overhead light on a different switch or do.
Now disconnect the other bottom wire and reconenct the previous wire to the bottom now check the switch it should control the oposite item mark it. Gently pull the entire light switch assembly outward away from the wall so that the wire terminals on both sides of the switch are exposed and able to be easily worked with using a screwdriver. Now if you find that when one wire is connected at the bottom it controls only the plug and when the other wire is the only one connected it controls only the light if you get a different effect post back with the exact details then. You only need simple tools and materials to do this. The light will go.